Outside “agitators” with ties to anarchist groups are using the George Floyd protests to loot and spark violence between cops and demonstrators, NYPD’s counterterrorism chief said.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller said unnamed anarchist groups used encrypted tech to organize before the protest even began to scout and line up supplies to capitalize on the chaos in the Big Apple.
“Demonstrations that were peaceful, that were neighborhood-based by core groups that are involved in this in New York, were successful and peaceful and orderly until outside groups … showed up and changed the tenor and tone and began to act with disorder and violence,” said NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller.
“A significant number of people from out of the area who have come here, as well as the advance preparation in terms of advance scouts using encrypted communications, having resupply routes for things like gasoline and accelerants, as well as rocks and bottles and the raising of bail … taken together is a strong indicator that they plan to act with disorder.”
One in seven of the people arrested during the protests since they broke out Thursday were from out of state, according to Miller.
In total, 786 protesters have been arrested between Thursday and Sunday.
The NYPD arrested people from 10 different states: Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
“We’ve seen a number of anarchist groups involved in this and one of the challenges we have is that these are loosely put-together groups that have become very good at using encrypted communications,” Miller said.
The city’s counterterrorism chief said there was no evidence so far that the agitators were being paid, but it was investigating after seeing posts about groups raising money for bail.
“Before the protests began, organizers of certain anarchist groups set out to raise bail money and appoint people who would be responsible to be raising bail money,” Miller added.
“They prepared to commit property damage and directed people who were following them that should be done selectively, only in wealthier areas or at high-end stores run by corporate entities.”